Photo © Alastair Bird
Derek Newby, LEED AP, CPHD, has returned to Diamond Schmitt Architects as the principal of its Vancouver practice.
Newby brings extraordinary experience to designing mixed-use, office, and academic facilities, and is recognized nationally for his leadership in sustainable design and high-performance buildings, the firm said. For years he has advocated for low-carbon buildings, both through the application of Passive House principles to reduce operating emissions and through the use of timber to reduce embodied emissions.
His recent work includes designing Canada’s Earth Tower in Vancouver, a proposed 38-storey mixed-use facility built mainly of timber to Passive House standards. He was also the project architect for Orchard Commons, a large mixed-use hub at the University of British Columbia (UBC), and he led the design for numerous office projects planned for downtown Vancouver.
Most recently, Newby worked alongside Diamond Schmitt, the firm’s co-founder on the Peter A. Allard School of Law at UBC and the Tommy Douglas Public Library in Burnaby, B.C.
“I am delighted to rejoin my colleagues here and look forward to expanding our presence in B.C., across Western Canada, and into the U.S.,” Newby said.
Newby is a member of the Architectural Institute of British Columbia (AIBC) and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC). He has served on the Advisory Design Panels of New Westminster and Surrey, B.C.
“Having worked with Derek in Toronto and collaborated when he returned to Vancouver with his family, we are excited to welcome him back to Diamond Schmitt,” said Schmitt.
